6 Steps To Building A Brand From The Inside Out

6 Steps to Building A Brand from the Inside Out
Building A Better Brand:

The Effects of Internal Brand
Communications on Business Success

130 S. Bemiston Suite 800 | St. Louis, MO 63105 | P: 314.727.5850 | www.geileon.com
CATEGORY: B2B, BRANDING, INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS, G/L APPROACH
WHITE PAPER | The Effects of Internal Brand Communication on Business Success

Page 2 | 6 KEYS TO BUILDING A BETTER BRAND FROM THE INSIDE OUT | www.geileon.com
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Introduction: MAKE IT MEAN SOMETHING WHY?
At Geile/Leon Marketing Communications, we have a deep respect and understanding for what
it takes to achieve meaning. Its a process of discovery that is proven and revealed over time.
It starts with asking yourself, Why?
What does asking this mean for you? Why does internal
branding matter? Why do you need to focus more on it? Why
does it improve your brand in the marketplace? Why does
internal branding ultimately build a strong brand and business?

Overview
The success of a company depends on many factorsproduct development, sales, marketing, customer
service and, of course, the retention of knowledgeable employees. That said, some companies that
boast all of the above still experience a downturn in business. Those that do, weve discovered, are not
paying close enough attention to their internal branding strategies. Which, more often than not, is having
a negative impact on external brand communication issues.
Internal brand building regularly gets put on the backburner. And, with the uneasiness of the economy,
businesses are stretched thin and fnding the resources to improve a business from the inside out is a
daunting task. The following white paper examines the critical components of building a well-rounded
brand by utilizing internal marketing tactics, resulting in strong external communication.
6 Steps To Building A Brand from the Inside Out:

The Importance of Internal Brand Communication

The Foundation of Internal Brand Building

Hiring for Your Brand

The Importance of Employee Touchpoints

Consistency of Internal Communication Strategy

The External Benefts of Effective Internal Branding


Importance of Internal Brand Communication
With a strategic marketing team in place, companies devote millions of dollars to external communication
and measuring the success of their brand in the marketplace. This is an important step in gauging the
effectiveness of marketing avenues, but it shouldnt be the only focus.
Lets consider the defnition of a brand: A class of goods identifed by name as the product of a single frm
or manufacturer.
1
This seems pretty straight forward, right? But, when diving deeper into what makes
up a brand, a company will fnd that simply sticking their logo on a high quality product/service will not
automatically translate into sales. A brand depends on more than what is forward facing to the public, and
a big portion of brand perception lies in the hands of employees. The people who work for a company are
advocates for a brand whether they are speaking with a customer on the phone, at a networking event,
on social media chatting about industry news or planning the company barbeque. And, each of these
situations is an opportunity to share a consistent brand message through processes and culture. [Internal]
branding can be the missing link between perception and reality, promise and delivery, effective marketing
and positive outcomes.
7
Every person in a company plays an active role in the translation of a brand,
resulting in a critical component in building a better business.
The Foundation of Internal Brand Building
Internal brand alignment is challenging and, to succeed, employees need to understand their value
in supporting the company. Sending out an email announcing brand guidelines and the foundation on
which the company was built wont motivate people to communicate the correct message. In order to
lay the groundwork and educate employees about the importance of brand communication, take
these steps:
Start internal brand building at the top: Engage executives and management to talk about and
support brand building efforts. If those in the c-suite arent focused on this communication, then
what motivation do employees have?
Address employees on an individual and job-function basis: In a company a person who is
in customer service, for example, has completely different interactions than a person in product
development. Its necessary to address each employee and help them understand the importance
of brand communication and consistent company messaging no matter their role.


Invigorate company operations to support the brand goals:
Simply sprinkling brand communication into everyday
tasks is not going to achieve the results needed to
effectively market a company. Brand values must be
integrated into functions and should not be treated as
optional add-ons.
Identify the goal: Sometimes its easier to implement
brand building steps if there is a desired outcome
in mind. Determine how the brand is reinforced at
each touchpoint. In addition, be sure to communicate
how each interaction is key to shaping the customer/
company relationship.
Repeat brand communication efforts: One company-
wide meeting isnt going to transform a business.
In order to effectively build a brand, there needs to
be multiple forms and points of communication to
reinforce the companys goals. The more its talked
about, the more it is engrained into employees
mindsets and the easier it is for them to translate
your brand to customers.

Integrating these steps and effectively educating employees will lay the foundation for successful and
consistent brand communication, further impacting the customers impression of a company.
Hiring for Your Brand
When recruiting and engaging with potential employees, companies focus on the position that needs
to be flled (job tasks), as well as the qualifcations of the candidate. Then, after a person is hired, the
typical organizational scenario plays out: the employee is trained, experiences a learning curve, becomes
productive and then leaves the organization. Now this process could take a couple of months or a couple
of years; however, no matter the length of time, the cost of turnover is high and can have a huge impact on
the bottom line. The costs of recruitment, selection, onboarding and productivity can drastically affect the
way a company operates.
FOUNDATON FOR SUCCESSFULLY
RENFORCNG COMPANYS GOALS
E
XECUTIVES
E
M
PLOYEES

To reduce this headache, a company must start with
recruiting and attracting the right employees. According to the
American Staffng Association (ASA) Model, the composition of
organizations is determined by:
Attraction: People are drawn toward companies whose
attributes align with their own personal characteristics (e.g.,
values, personality, culture)
Selection: Organizations select applicants with
attributes they desire
Attrition: People will leave the organization if
they dont ft
Thinking about the components of this model from a branding
perspective, its diffcult to avoid attrition if the organization hasnt
clearly outlined what characteristics are important to them. These
characteristics not only relate to personality type and work-related
goals, but also brand identity. For example, if a company wants to
consistently be seen as innovative, trendy, adventurous, etc. and they
hire people who are old-fashioned, conventional and outdated, then what
message is being translated to customers? And, just as importantly, what brand
inconsistencies are communicated within the company?
Employment branding is internally and externally promoting a clear view of what makes a frm different
and desirable as an employer.
2
This is a long-term, constant process that helps improve the quality
of candidates and retention rates. Branding is not a quick process, and using this approach moves
organizations away from simply describing an open position to painting a picture of what its like to work for
the company. This picture and the way the company brands itself from the get-go determines whether a
person is the right ft for the job and what the company expects long-term.

The Importance of Employee Touchpoints
Internal brand building is a critical component because it sets the stage for all employee interactions
including those with customers. Customers experience a companys brand in many ways: products,
packaging, marketing (traditional and digital), customer service, etc. Activities and the name of the
organization are the base for [customer] perceptions...and are usually the frst elements visible to external

audiences.
3
Each of these interactions with a customer
leaves an impression and builds a rapport. While its easy
to address and measure the obvious exchanges between a
customer and an organization, considering each of the touchpoints
is important.
Brand experience defnes a companywho they are, why they
are different, how they operate and why they should be chosen
over the competition. And, brand experience is determined by
the various interactions a customer has with a company. The
objective of internal branding is to ensure that employees transform
espoused brand messages into brand
reality for customers and other stakeholders.
5
In order to ensure
consistency and build the best experience, a company needs to
map out every point in which a customer comes in contact with its
brand. By identifying these interactions, a company can address
how the brand message is integrated throughout each avenue.

Consistency of Internal Communication Strategy
When a company defnes and builds a brand, its intention is to ensure employees and customers have
a consistent brand experience that delivers on a promise. In addition, internal brand building connects
employees with the leadership teams vision for delivering distinctive value to customers.
4
But, staying true to a brand promise is easier said than done.
Too often, executives in a company develop brand communication, but tactfully implementing that strategy
is left to the people who are lower on the totem pole. In order to bridge this gap, a consistent brand
communication strategy needs to be in place for every employee:
Clearly defne the companys mission and vision, and make sure they are aligned with the
brand promise
Reinforce the companys promise and personality through culture
Find effective communication vehicles to communicate brand positioning, strategies and priority.
Be sure to follow up with employees to ensure they understand the message

Weave brand messaging into company training and use it as an opportunity to ignite the brand
Reward and recognize brand behavior at every customer touchpoint. This will add more
credibility to the notion that employee engagement and business performance have an important
case/effect relationship.
4

Make sure all deliverables (products, services, operations) support the companys brand promise.
These are the interactions that shape a long-lasting customer relationship

Effective internal brand marketing causes employees to internalize brand values, resulting in a consistently
delivered brand promise across all company contacts.
5

Brand Equity: The External Result of Effective
Internal Branding
Whether a company is introducing a new product/service or revamping their image, internal brand building
and marketing are key steps. Sure, a brand can have the best look, however, if there isnt a sense of
value behind the logo, then a customer is more likely to choose a competitor. This is why its important to
communicate and reinforce a brand from recruitment to internal employee communication to the review
process and, most importantly, to the customer.
When a brand has a solid foundation, customers feel positive associations with a company, and thats
what builds brand equity. Brand equity is derived from the goodwill and name recognition that [a company]
has earned over time, which translates into high sales volume and high proft margins against competing
brands.
3
This connection with a brand is accomplished through each touchpoint with a company. So,
whether a customer is researching a brand, using it or shopping for it, the impressions delivered should be
seamlessly integrated. Therefore, employees are responsible for fulflling the brand promiseto maintain
the desired identity, a coherent corporate image and a [consistent] corporate reputation.
5
And, with each
of these deliveries, theres an opportunity to build meaningful long-term customer relationships.

Conclusion
Internal branding and marketing are essential from recruitment to customer interaction, and an increase in
competition has resulted in companies focusing more on their culture and brand to differentiate themselves.
The success of your internal branding strategy depends on the frequency and consistency of your
companys message, which must be communicated by every employee, from top to bottom, when delivering
the product or service. In order to implement effective internal employee branding, a company must:
Examine their current brand stateWhat do customers think now? What should they think? What
do employees believe?
Take note of the brand processes that are already in placeAre all employees aware of the
companys brand goals? How are brand goals communicated?
Determine the companys brand positioningAre all parts of the business aligned with the
positioning? What processes need to be in place to communicate the brand positioning?
Implement regular brand communicationHow will communication be sent out? How will the
company follow up with employees?
Evaluate the brand message throughout every touchpointDo all employees understand how to
weave the brand into everyday tasks?
Take the companys pulseWhat is the most effective way to survey customers to ensure the correct
brand message is being communicated?
Always look for ways to improveAre there opportunities to improve the strength of the brand? Is
the internal brand communication as effective as it could be?
Brand message delivery and how much the employee infuences the brand perception determine
the success of a company/customer relationship. These brand infuencers can, and should, create a
competitive advantage for the company, which is key to sales in a competitive market.
Internal Branding in Action
A Fortune 500 company was experiencing employee turnover and decreased sales despite a strong
company history. Geile/Leon developed a plan to help rebuild the brand from the inside out with the
following initiatives:
Internal brand survey: A survey was sent to all employees to gauge their brand perception and to
determine the main reasons of business struggles.
Communication of survey results: The survey results were examined and a third party drafted
conclusions.These points were then communicated to all employees.

Implementation of internal brand building efforts: Based on the survey results, a year-long internal
brand launch plan was implemented. This plan included:
Brand training with key talking points about the brand
Education about the brand platform
Energizing brand-building events
Development of brand toolkits
Advertisements emphasizing the companys brand pillars
A brand mantra video and wallet card
On-going communication of the brand from top leader
Continued brand building efforts: In the following year, the company continued to communicate important
brand points to employees.
Distribution of a follow-up brand survey: A second brand survey was issued to test the companys
efforts. In one year, the company has reported higher employee satisfaction and increased sales.
Credibility among employees increased 13.3 percentage points
The commitment to customer satisfaction increased and the likelihood that employees recommend their
companys products increased 15.54 percentage points
The number of employees who are motivated to see their company succeed rose to 98.9%

About Geile/Leon
WHY do we do it?
G/L believes that every company has a deeper purpose and its the agencys role to help those companies
discover their WHY. By identifying, defning and revealing that deeper sense of purpose, companies can
strengthen their brand and attract buyers that believe what they believe.
Once the companys purpose has been identifed, G/L creates work that means something. Work that
changes behaviors and builds relationships with the people to whom we are targeting our message
building meaningful relationships between the company and buyer and causing buyers to make decisions
that will beneft them and, ultimately, our clients. Whatever we do, whatever we say, whatever media vehicle
we choose, we make it mean something.
HOW do we do it?
We dig deep to understand the customer and their relationship with the brand. We implement proven
processes that allow us to gain valuable customer insight and discover the brands differentiating value
proposition. We are listeners and strategic problem solvers who help brands develop strong, emotional
connections with their employees, distribution channel and the end-user.
WHAT do we do?
We discover and refresh brands and create integrated marketing communications to activate the brands
internally and in the marketplace. We specialize in B2B industries and internal employee communications,
and we have a knack for taking complex marketing challenges and distilling them down into concise,
simple, compelling campaigns that resonate and compel buyers to act.
Sources
1 Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2013
2 SHRM Employer Branding and Retention Strategies, 2012
3 Internal Elements Infuencing the Corporate Brand Equity of Small Firms, 2009
4 Internal Brand Building: Leveraging an Innovative Collaboration Between Marketing and HR, 2009
5 The Role of Internal Branding In The Delivery of Employee Brand Promise, 2007
6 Employment Branding Discussion, 2007
7 6 Tips for Building a Brand Culture and Improving Internal Communications, 2011
8 Managing Your Brand Through Your Employees, 2005
9 Business Week Dont Neglect Internal Branding, 2009

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